Intracellular Zn(ii) induced turn-on fluorescence of an l-phenylalanine-derived pseudopeptide

Abstract

A C₂ symmetric L-phenylalanine-derived pseudopeptide has been synthesized for selective and sensitive recognition of Zn(II) ions in aqueous–organic media. The pseudopeptidic probes exhibit intracellular Zn(II) ion-sensing capabilities as demonstrated via live-cell fluorescence studies on RAW264.7 cells. Hence, we present a bioinspired pseudopeptide for potential biological applications involving intracellular Zn(II) ion detection.